“This rebate is a valuable tool for homeowners to ease the burden of our high property taxes in New Jersey,” Senator Doherty said. “We need to eliminate any roadblocks they might encounter and make it easier for more people to take advantage of this program.”

Currently, residents who file for this rebate are required to fill out a booklet which includes essentially the same information that appears on a resident’s state tax forms.

Under Senator Doherty’s bill, S-2213, the Division of Taxation would explore the creation of a centralized property tax information system so that information can be easily accessed to confirm that an individual is qualified for the homestead rebate without requiring the submission of duplicate information. The bill was introduced on Monday.

“This legislation cuts out a step in filing for the rebate and streamlines the whole process,” Senator Doherty said. “For seniors living on a fixed budget, speeding up their rebate can make a big difference.”